You're going to have the same risk of snow in the Sierra this year, so you might think about coming down the west side of the Sierra along Hwy 49. The roads are great, and there are lots of little towns to see in the Gold Country. Almost all of them have interesting restaurants and motels.

Did you see the vintage Motorcycle Museum in Solvang (near Lompoc) when you went through last time? Also, a bit north of San Francisco is wine country. The little roads around there are the closest thing to European countryside I have seen in California. In Petaluma, there is a motel 2 doors down from the Lagunitas Brewery. Their SF Fusion beer is my all time favorite. If you are into wine, there are some good ones there as well.